Front foundation bed

While I was home this summer recovering from the double knee replacement I had time to sit and contemplate the front bed and consider how little it pleased me. I had originally planted it with a variety of deciduous azaleas in yellows and oranges and then underplanted it with wild columbines and wood poppies. The result was a mess. The azaleas are leggy and ratty looking except when actually in bloom. The underplanted perennials made weeding a real chore. This fall I dug everything out, moved the azaleas to the back of the house and the columbines to the corner and bought a selection of low growing shrubs, most of them broadleafed evergreens. I'm very pleased so far with the effect and will see how they do over the winter.

Before

From TTH200811

Things in pots

From TTH200811

Leucothoe 'Girard's Rainbow'
I like leucothoe though it has a reputation for getting a bit messy with leaf spot and scorch. We'll see how these do.

From TTH200811

Winterberry 'Red Sprite'
A low growing, deciduous holly. I have some of these along the fence line in the backyard too.

From TTH200811

Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'
Small pinkish flowers on variegated foliage. These were just humming with bees at the nursery.

From TTH200811

The dark green shrubs are inkberries, Ilex glabra 'Shamrock', a dwarf cultivar.

From TTH200811

Beau thinks it looks much better now.

From HOC200811